NBA Execs' Concerns on Tyran Stokes Leak in New Rumors as 2027 Mock Drafts Drop by ESPN & B/R

As the dust settles on the 2026 NBA draft, scouts and executives are now looking ahead to next year's class.

In a way-too-early 2027 top-10 mock draft from ESPN's Jeremy Woo, projected No. 1 overall pick Tyran Stokes does have some concerns that people in the NBA are going to keep an eye on as he prepares for his freshman year at Kansas:

"NBA executives also have concerns about Stokes' maturity and demeanor, to the point that those questions are almost impossible to extract from his evaluation. Scouts have frequently noted his on-court temper and moodiness. He is described by those who know him as competitive and intelligent, and learning to better channel that on the floor will go a long way."

Here are the top five picks in Woo's early projection for 2027, as well as how it compares to B/R's Jonathan Wasserman's mock:

Team	ESPN	B/R
1. Kings	Tyran Stokes, SF	Stokes
2. Bulls	Jordan Smith Jr., G	Holt
3. Grizzlies	Caleb Holt, G	Smith
4. Rockets (via Nets)	Bruce Branch III, G/F	Braylon Mullins, G
5. Pelicans	Stefan Joksimović, PG	Branch

Wasserman also cited Stokes' maturity in his writeup as something that NBA executives want to see improve.

"Stokes will start atop the board, but he'll still have to earn it by next June by demonstrating enough consistency, shooting dependability and maturity," wrote Wasserman.

Stokes is entering the 2026-27 college season as the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 pick in next year's draft. He is the No. 1 college recruit by 247Sports' composite rankings.

The 18-year-old committed to Kansas in April, marking the second consecutive year that Bill Self has landed the nation's top high-school player.

Darryn Peterson, the No. 1 player last year, parlayed his one season with the Jayhawks into becoming the second pick in the 2026 NBA draft to the Utah Jazz.

Next year's draft isn't regarded as highly as the 2026 class, led by Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, but Stokes is the safest bet right now to emerge as a potential star in the NBA if he has a good year at Kansas.